‘I’m asking people to do a lot, but that’s what it means to be a human’: why…
June 9, 2026 6:11am
Robert dos Santos decided to make his first film after being held at gunpoint once too often. The resulting drama, only available on VHS, is a broadside against...
Robert dos Santos decided to make his first film after being held at gunpoint once too often. The resulting drama, only available on VHS, is a broadside against AI: ‘Someone once said that if your mum can do it, it doesn’t have value’The new film This Is How the World Ends is a fine piece of work; the story of two siblings finding each other at a party held at humanity’s end, it is basically On the Beach set at Burning Man. However, what is really remarkable about it is its method of release, as the first straight to VHS film in 20 years.In the early 2000s it was estimated 90% of British households owned a VCR– the last halcyon days of the format, before it was replaced by DVDs, and then Blu-ray, then streaming. The Guardian reported this update on 2026-06-04 with additional details in the linked source coverage.
5-Second Takeaway
Robert dos Santos decided to make his first film after being held at gunpoint once too often.
Why This Matters
The resulting drama, only available on VHS, is a broadside against AI: ‘Someone once said that if your mum can do it, it doesn’t have value’The new film This Is How the World Ends is a fine piece of work; the story of two siblings finding each other at a party held at humanity’s end, it is basically On the Beach set at Burning Man. However, what is really remarkable about it is its method of release, as the first straight to VHS film in 20 years.In the early 2000s it was estimated 90% of British households owned a VCR– the last halcyon days of the format, before it was replaced by DVDs, and then Blu-ray, then streaming.
What Changed
- The Guardian published this report on 2026-06-04.
- The headline focus is "‘I’m asking people to do a lot, but that’s what it means to be a human’: why one man made the first straight-to-video movie in 20 years".
- Robert dos Santos decided to make his first film after being held at gunpoint once too often.
- The resulting drama, only available on VHS, is a broadside against AI: ‘Someone once said that if your mum can do it, it doesn’t have value’The new film This Is How the World Ends is a fine piece of work; the story of two siblings finding each other at a party held at humanity’s end, it is basically On the Beach set at Burning Man.
- However, what is really remarkable about it is its method of release, as the first straight to VHS film in 20 years.In the early 2000s it was estimated 90% of British households owned a VCR– the last halcyon days of the format, before it was replaced by DVDs, and then Blu-ray, then streaming.
- In 2016, the world’s last VCR manufacturer Funai Electric ceased production.
- To release a film straight to video, in other words, is to make watching your film as difficult as possible.
- The resulting drama, only available on VHS, is a broadside against AI.
Key Facts
- The Guardian published this report on 2026-06-04.
- The headline focus is "‘I’m asking people to do a lot, but that’s what it means to be a human’: why one man made the first straight-to-video movie in 20 years".
- Robert dos Santos decided to make his first film after being held at gunpoint once too often.
- The resulting drama, only available on VHS, is a broadside against AI: ‘Someone once said that if your mum can do it, it doesn’t have value’The new film This Is How the World Ends is a fine piece of work; the story of two siblings finding each other at a party held at humanity’s end, it is basically On the Beach set at Burning Man.
Key Numbers
- The Guardian published this report on 2026-06-04.
- The headline focus is "‘I’m asking people to do a lot, but that’s what it means to be a human’: why one man made the first straight-to-video movie in 20 years".
- However, what is really remarkable about it is its method of release, as the first straight to VHS film in 20 years.In the early 2000s it was estimated 90% of British households owned a VCR– the last halcyon days of the format, before it was replaced by DVDs, and then Blu-ray, then streaming.
- In 2016, the world’s last VCR manufacturer Funai Electric ceased production.